Overhead contact for electric-railway switch circuits



C. S. EPPLEY OVERHEAD CONTACT FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY SWITCH CIRCUITS Jan. 4, 1927. 3, 5

Filed Feb. 16 1924 Patented Jan. 4, 1927.

CHARLES S. EPPLEY, 0F YORK, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOB TO SELF-ACTING SWITCH (30., OF YORK, PENNSYLVANIA.

OVERHEAD CONTACT FOR ELECTRIC-RAILWAY SWITCH CIRCUITS.

Application filed February 16, 1924.

This invention relates to overhead contacts for automatic railway switch circuits, and is designed more particularly for use in connection with the control panel forming the subject matter of my co-pending application filed July 27 1923, Serial No. 654,223, and the automatic switch mechanism forming the subject matter of my co-pending application filed July 25, 1923, Serial No. 653, 760. The said automatic switch mechanism embodies an electric motor through which an electrical circuit is to be closed to effect various phases of operation of the mechanism to suitably throw the switch under different conditions, the control panel referred to being employed in connection with said mechanism and in circuit with the motor and embodying devices for translating the electrical energy from the trolley Wire to the motor of the switch mechanism, the passage of current to the control panel being b way of the trolley wheel and the usual con uctor leading therefrom, and the electrical circuitbeing broken and closed through passage of the trolley wheel over an overhead con-- tact device which constitutes the subject matter of the present invention.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a contact device which may be conveniently mounted and secured upon the trolley wire and which when installed, will be substantial and durable and not liable to a disarrangement of its parts or improper functioning through other causes.

Another object of the invention is to provide a contact device so constructed that it will operate in a reliable manner under all weather conditions, the component parts of the device being so constructed and arranged as to efl'ectually provide against any short circuiting which would produce disastrous rcsults.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel form of insulating body for attachment to the trolley wire and upon which the several contact elements of the device are supported.

In the accompanying drawing:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, illustrating the overhead contact embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view, partly in hori zontal section, illustrating the said device;

Figure .3 is a detail vertical transverse Sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Serial No. 693,251.

Figure 4 is a similar view on the line 4.-4 of Figure 1.

The device embodying the invention comprises an insulator body indicated in general by the numeral 1 and consisting of two counterpart sections 2 which may be of any de sired insulating material but are preferably made of wood coated and treated with insulating paint. Each section of the insulator body comprises a strip 3 of insulating material or general oblong rectangular form, the strip being formed in its inner face and parallel to its lower edge with a substantially sem1-cylindrical groove 4 and having its outer face at its lower portion beveled, as indicated by the numeral 5. The two sections of the insulator body are disposed with their inner faces in contact and with the trolley wire, which is indicated by the numeral 6, received within the groove 4 as best shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, bolts 7 being secured through the said sections on a line extending above the grooves 4 and trolley wire 5 and constituting means whereby the sectlons may be separably united, it being understood that the depth of the groove 4 is such that when the sections are assembled upon the wire 6 and the bolts 7 are fitted in to place and tightened, the insulator sections Wlll be clamped to the trolley wire'so that thernsulator will occupy a perpendicular posltion as shown in Figuresl and 3.

The numeral 8 indicates a continuous contact member-which is in the form of a metallic strip 9 having a flat sided upper portion one face of which is disposed against the enter face oi one of the insulator body sectlons 2, the lower portion of the strip being deflected downwardly and inwardly at an angle as indicated by the numeral 10 and thence directly laterally as at 11, the portion 10 resting against the beveled lower portion 5 of the outer face of the said section 2. and the portion 11 engaging directly beneath the lower edge of the said section. The numerals 12, 13 and 14 indicate other contact sections which are suitably proportioned as to length and which are disposed against the outer face of the other section. 2 of the insulator body and united thereto by bolts 15, 16 and 17 respectively, the bolts 7 likewise serving to unite one or more of these sections to the insulator body. The sections 12, 13 and 14 are of precisely the form of the section 8 above described except as regards their length dimensions and at this point it will be evident that as the trolley wheel passes the device, it will r de in contact with the lover portions and 11 of the contact section 8 and successively in contact with the corresponding por tions of the contact sections12, 13 and 14. Preferably the opposing faces of the sections 2 of the insulator body 1 are some what spaced below the grooves a as indicated by the numeral 18 so that while ordinarily no water or moisture can enter between the said sections 2 due to thelirin mutual contact o the upper portions of their opposing faces, even should moisture enter between the sections, it would drain oil through the 7 space 18 without causing a short circuit between the contact member 10 and the members 12, 13 and let and the trolley wire 6.

Conductor wires 19 and 20 are to be connected electrically to the contact sections 12 and 1?, in accordance with my said co-pending application, Serial No, 65% 223, and for this purpose rectangular bo ses 21 and 22 are provided respectively upon the said members 12 and 13 and have openings 23 to receive the terminals of the said respective wires. A plurality of binding screws, as for example two, indicated by the numeral 2 1, are threaded into each boss 21 and 22 and may be tightened to firmly bind the terminals of the respective conductor wires at a plurality of spaced points thereby insuring against separation of the wires Irom the respective contact sections 12 and 13.

It is essential that the contact section 13 be insulated in a most thorough manner and therefore it will be found advisable to interpose between the inner face of this section and the associated section 2 of the nsulator body, a thin sheet 24 of insulating material such, for example, as mica, the ends of this sheet projecting beyond the ends of the said section 13 and extending substantially to the relatively adjacent ends of the sections 12 and 1 as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing.

In order that the trolley wheel may be guided, in passing from the trolley wire 6 to the contacts 8, 12, 13 and 14:. and likewise guided in passing from the contacts again onto the wire, guiding means is provided at each end of the insulator body 1 of the device. In each instance this guiding means comprises a body 25 of metal which is formed in its upper side with a relatively deep longitudinal groove 26 and has its under side transversely rounded as at 27. the said body member being curved longitudinally along its under side from its end which abuts the adjacent end of the insulator body 1, to its opposite end where its under side merges with the under side of an extension 28 which is tapered in the direction of its extremity and is provided in its upper side with a groove 29 to embrace the under side of the trolley wire. clamping and filler member 30 is fitted into the groove 26 of the body 25 and is formed in its lower edge with a longitudinally extending transversely substantially semi-cylindrical groove 31 which embraces the upper side of the trolley wire. The clamping and tiller member 30 is provided at its upper edge with longitudinal flanges 32 which rest upon the upper side of the body 25 at opposite sides of the groove 26 therein and securing screws or the like, indicated by the numeral 33, are engaged through the flanges 32 and threaded into the said body 25 thereby clamping the device to the trolley wire in upright position and in alinement with the contact device proper.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a contact device of the class described, an insulator body comprising sections assembled face to face and having matching grooves in their opposite faces to receive an electrical conductor upon which the device is to be supported, means secured through the sections and separably clamping the same together to cause them to frictionally bind the said conductor member, the said sections having the low-er portions of their outwardly presented faces arranged in downwardly converging planes whereby the said insulator body at its lower side will conform substantially to the contour of the peripheral groove of a trolley wheel, a contact member extending longitudinally of the said face of one of the sections and having a portion extending downwardly over the said inclined portion of the face of the said section and having a lower marginal portion extending longitudinally beneath the lower edge of the said section, and a plurality of similar contact members mounted upon the corresponding face of the other section and correspondingly arranged.

2. In a contact device of the class described, an insulator body having means adapting it to be mounted upon an electrical conductor, a contact member mounted upon the said body, and guides at the ends of the said insulator body for guiding a trolley wheel from the conductor onto the body and the contact thereon, each of the said guides comprising a body having a groove to accommodate the said conductor wire, and a clamping member fitted in the groove and removably secured to the said body and having a portion confronting the bottom of the groove and adapted to clamp the upper side of the saidconductor wire.

3. In a contact device of the class described, an insulator body having means adapting it to be mounted upon an electrical conductor, a contact member mounted upon the said body, and guides at the ends of the said insulator body for guiding a trolley wheel from the conductor onto the body and the contact thereon, each of the said guides comprising a body having a groove to accommodate the said conductor wire, and a clamping member fitted in the groove and removably secured to the said body and having a portion confronting the bottom of the groove and adapted to clamp the upper side of the said conductor wire, the said body having a longitudinal extension provided in its upper side with a groove to accommodate the said conductor wire, the under side of the extension and the under side of the body merging and the said under side of the extension being inclined to merge at the extremity of the extension with the said conductor wire.

a. A trolley contact for switch circuits, comprising an insulator body embodying complemental side sections having a trolley wire receiving groove formed partly in the inner face of each adjacent the lower edge, and having the inner faces disposed between the said groove and the lower edge of the body spaced apart and the outer faces oppositely beveled, and contact strips secured to opposite sides of the body and having their lower edge portions conforming to the beveled sides thereof, and having the marginal edge portions underlapping the lower edges of the sections upon opposite sides of the space therebetween.

5. A trolley contact for switch circuits, comprising an insulator body having its lower longitudinal edge portion oppositely beveled, contact strips secured to opposite sides of the said body and having their lower edge portions deflected inwardly to conform to the beveled sides of the body, and having their marginal edge portions extended inwardly to underlap the lower beveled edge of the body and spaced apart, a guiding body at each end of the insulator boy having a medial longitudinal groove in its upper side to receive the trolley wire, and having a forward tapered extension grooved in its upper side, and a member comprising a portion filling the groove in the guiding body above the trolley wire and a portion overlapping the said body and secured thereto.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

CHARLES S. EPPLEY. [11. s.] 

